Settled at the Pinellas Bayway, in an idyllic setting amid sand and palms at the end of hotel row, this is the area leader, a laudable retreat for a long list of blue-blooded patrons, as well as demanding families and groups. Built to resemble a grandiose 17th-century Spanish church, the 1928 flamingo-pink Mediterranean gem is frequented religiously by the local gentry, who dine in the elaborate restaurants, imbibe in the dignified bars and shop in the expensive boutiques. Maintenance here is excellent, with upgrades and improvements scheduled regularly.
Since its big overhaul a few years ago, the hotel has managed to uphold its reputation for fine service. The staff undergoes regular training, ensuring the consistent and deferential treatment of all guests. However, the resort fee, which is charged per adult rather than per room, is irksome to say the least. The elaborately detailed historic building is surrounded with beautiful landscaping, topiaries, palms and hibiscus. With chandeliers, high ceilings, Spanish chests, Mexican pieces, art and antiques and meandering hallways, the hotel is baroque to the hilt. Beautiful Italian marble sheathes the elaborate lobby. A grand staircase adds elegance, the billowy drapes are extravagant, and a row of chandeliers runs from the entrance to the waterside exit. Guests have many inviting spots in which to linger, from the lobby's well-upholstered sofas and chairs to the classic raised lobby bar floating piano tunes. Tea is served Wednesday and Saturday.
A lovely bistro prepares all meals at set hours and spills onto a terrace with crisp white rattan furnishings. Formal dining is in the nautical Maritana Grille, where patrons enjoy innovative and pricey Continental fare in a room swathed in blues, from the wood floor to the cobalt-blue glassware. Service and food are superb throughout. A spectacular beachfront bar and grill is just one facet of the pavilion on the lower level, where a boardwalk, playground, pool deck and changing rooms add panache to the beach scene.
Wide pink halls lined with boutiques lead to the garden patio, graceful fountained courtyard, ice-cream parlor, health club with workout stations and free weights, two heated pools, saunas, whirlpools, lawn games and watersports. The new spa is among the most elaborate on the gulf coast, offering 11,000 sq ft of luxury and 16 treatment rooms, including deluxe rooms for couples' treatments, suites for private parties, and treatments using local ingredients. The staff organizes activities for adults and children, for whom the hotel has a day-care center.
Most meeting rooms are on the second and fifth floors, but the sumptuous ballroom seating 700 is off the lobby, beyond the aquarium. Valet parking is moderately priced. The per-adult, per-day resort fee is an annoyance that covers normally standard perks in a hotel of this stature: turndown, overnight shoe shine, daily newspapers, access to the gym, local calls, housekeeper gratuities and morning coffee in the lobby.
Upstairs, chandeliers illuminate deep-green hallways skirting impeccably kept guest rooms done in smart residential style. Fresh, deep pile carpeting in light blue and cream tones, chic lighting and bordered ceilings, crown moldings and handsome furnishings with iron accents are standard. Other features include marble-topped tables and newly installed flat-screen TVs and pillow-top mattresses.
Standard are desks with easily accessible outlets and data ports, CD players, minibars, louvered closets with laptop-sized safes and small but luxurious granite-trimmed baths. Since the building is historic, rooms are in a variety of sizes and layouts, some quite small, others boasting balconies. Those in the -13 and -55 series are largest and best, and studios and one- and two-bedroom suites are also in the mix. The spectacular, panoramic Penthouse Suite has a price tag to match its decor and views: stunning.
In addition, The Beach House, two blocks away by shuttle, offers 70 glamorous, oversized one-bedroom suites with full kitchens, dishwashers, washers and dryers, and large, furnished gulf-view balconies.
Room service runs nonstop, and housekeeping is twice daily. Well-behaved pets are permitted for a fee.
CEOs and prosperous conferees sometimes pack the hotel, but management is solid and the superlative staff lends top-notch support that appeals to individuals. This is the only luxury resort in the area, with the less-impressive Renaissance Vinoy and Tradewinds Island Grand providing the only competition.
